38 - SEATED WOOD BUDDHA THAILAND 19TH CENTURY

SEATED WOOD BUDDHA THAILAND 19TH CENTURY Dimensions: Height 15 cm Wide 8,5 cm Depth 4cm Weight: 164 grams A quietly expressive wooden Buddha seated cross-legged on a high, decorated pedestal. The figure is slender and frontal, with elongated earlobes, a pointed finial above the hair and a robe drawn in simple diagonal folds across the chest. One hand rests in the lap while the other reaches down toward the earth. The pale, weathered wood shows small wormholes, surface abrasion and a pronounced vertical split running through the body and base. The lowered hand evokes the earth-touching gesture, or bhumisparsha mudra, recalling the Buddha's calling of the earth to witness his enlightenment. This moment became a central subject in the Theravada Buddhist sculpture of Thailand and neighbouring regions, where the serene seated image served as a focus for devotion and reflection. The carving has a spare, intimate quality: its restrained modelling and visibly aged wooden surface carry much of its appeal.